The apparatus of the present invention is useful in the forming of blocks of folded fibrous material. More particularly, the apparatus of the present invention can be utilized in forming insulative blocks of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,996. These blocks, which are manufactured from blankets of refractory fibers, are extremely effective insulators for lining high temperature furnaces and the like.
The present invention comprises an improvement and simplification over the machine disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,962 to Richard Cunningham et al. The mechanism disclosed in said patent manufactures blocks of folded fibrous material using upper and lower folding vanes. These vanes perform compound reciprocatory and oscillatory motions in creating the folds so as to fully support the blanket throughout the cycle. These compound motions require complicated support structure and, with the machine's capability of selectively and automatically inserting mounting supports, these compound motions require highly complex and sophisticated circuitry and switching means for proper sequencing. All of these complexities serve to escalate the cost of manufacturing such a machine.
The apparatus of the present invention eliminates the complicated, compound motions and the associated complex structure necessitated by the Cunningham et al. device. The upper and lower folder vanes are supported for simple rotational oscillatory motions which alternately engage the blanket, driven by a continuously driven electric motor to produce the folds. A reciprocating support vane engages the fibrous material and holds the formed folds during retraction of the two folder vanes. This simplified structure, in conjunction with the elimination of the mounting-support-inserting function, enables the sophisticated circuitry and switching means to be eliminated. The present machine can perform all of the same functions (with the exception of the support insertion aforementioned) as the Cunningham et al. device, with greater versatility. In addition, this machine has a higher reliability because of its simplicity and can be manufactured for about 1/3 the cost of the previous machine.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present machine will become apparent after a reading of the following specification.